The L Word
by moondragon23
Summary: Shawn and Carlton are about to spend their first Valentine's Day together as a couple. Shawn has never been in a serious relationship before and wants everything to go perfectly. However, this is the holiday of love and he's never been one to easily express his feelings. When the time comes, will he be able to say those three important words? Sequel to Breaking the News.
1. Chapter 1

_I do not own Psych or any of its characters. All other publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended._

**I'm generally not the biggest fan of Valentine's Day but I couldn't resist writing about my favorite Psych couple on the holiday of love. This story ended up longer than I thought it would be, so I'm splitting it into three parts. I'll be posting the whole thing this weekend; Friday, Saturday, Sunday.**

**This story is dedicated to all of us who spend Valentine's Day alone. I hope this helps make the holiday more enjoyable.**

**To those of you spending it with someone, I hope you know how lucky you are and wish you a wonderful time.**

**Happy Valentine's Day!**

* * *

Gus walked into the Psych office and stopped short at the sight that met his eyes. "What are you doing?"

Shawn looked up at Gus. "Shopping."

Gus looked around the office, then back at Shawn. "Why are you lying on the floor with your feet propped up on the couch?"

"It helps me think."

Gus sighed and shook his head. He carefully walked over the magazines, catalogs, and flyers scattered over the floor as he made his way to his desk. "Find anything good?" he asked once he was safely in his chair.

Shawn picked up the catalog he had been looking at before Gus came in. "What about a gun cleaning kit?"

"You don't even own a gun."

Shawn rolled his eyes and partially sat up to get a better look at his friend. "Not for me, dude, for Lassie. I still need to get him something for Valentine's Day."

"That's less than a week away," Gus pointed out.

"I know." He read over the description of the kit. "This one contains four slotted tips, whatever that means."

"They're used for cleaning the barrel of the gun."

Shawn raised an eyebrow. "How is it I'm the one with the gunophile boyfriend yet _you_ know what those slot thingys are?"

"The correct term is _gun_ _enthusiast_," Gus corrected him, "and your dad taught both of us proper gun care when we were kids before my mom put a stop to it. It's not my fault you didn't pay attention."

"Whatever," Shawn said. "The point is Lassie needs a new one, especially with the amount of time he's been spending at the range lately." Since coming out at work, his boyfriend had started to have problems with a few of the other officers. Most of it was snide comments about their relationship but a couple of the confrontations had turned physical, necessitating the Chief's involvement. Luckily there had been multiple witnesses both times and Carlton made sure not to be the one to throw the first punch. Still, all the added stress had him stopping at the gun range three to four times a week, usually straight from work.

"It doesn't seem very romantic," Gus said doubtfully.

Shawn sighed and tossed the catalog next to him on the floor. "I know but I'm starting to run out of ideas of what to get him." With the problems Carlton had been having at work, he wanted to get his boyfriend something really good. He glanced over at Gus. There was one thing he knew Carlton would love, but he didn't have the money for it. He could just borrow Gus's credit card again, but maybe instead he could convince his friend to help him out.

"There is _one_ thing. . ," Shawn said slowly. He shook his head. "It's probably a stupid idea."

"Knowing you, it probably is," Gus agreed. Shawn glared at him, but he could see his friend was curious. He waited a few seconds, silently counting down in his head. "Are you going to tell me what it is?" Gus asked, right on cue.

"You really want to know?"

"That's why I asked, Shawn."

"It doesn't matter; I can't afford it." Shawn sighed heavily. "It's too bad. It was the perfect gift too."

Gus shook his head. "It's not going to work Shawn."

"I'm not doing anything," Shawn protested. "I just think it's a shame Lassie will have to settle for a mediocre gift."

"And how much does it cost?" Gus asked warily, narrowing his eyes.

"Four hundred dollars." Shawn braced himself for the outburst.

"What the hell could you want to get him that costs that much?" Gus exclaimed.

"I'll show you." Shawn pulled his legs off the couch and sat up. He started shifting through the papers scattered over the floor. "I know it's here somewhere," he muttered. Finally spotting it under the edge of his desk, he grabbed the flyer and thrust it into Gus's face triumphantly. "Got it!"

Gus looked it over. "The National Civil War and Antique Arms Show?"

"Lassie's a history geek, especially about the Civil War," Shawn explained. "All those old weapons? He'll love it."

Gus continued reading the flyer. "This show isn't for another few months," Gus said and slowly looked up at him. "Do you really think you'll still be together then?"

"Yes, I do," Shawn said firmly. "I'm in it for the long haul this time."

"Well, I'm proud of you Shawn," Gus said. "I'm glad to see you finally getting serious about someone."

"It's not like we're _that_ serious," Shawn said quickly. "He hasn't even said 'it' yet."

"What?"

"You know." Shawn rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "The 'L' word."

Gus still looked puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

Shawn sighed. "You see, Gus, when a man and another man have feelings for each other – "

"Don't you dare say another word," Gus warned. "We talked about this."

"I'm just answering your question." Shawn smiled innocently at his friend.

"You know the rules Shawn. I do not want to know what you and Lassiter do behind closed doors," Gus said firmly.

"Who says they're closed. Who says there _are_ doors?"

"_Shawn_!"

"Jeez. All right," Shawn said, holding up his hands placatingly.

Gus crossed his arms and looked at Shawn. "By the 'L' word, do you mean love?"

Shawn flinched. "I prefer calling it the 'L' word. It sounds less threatening."

"You guys haven't been dating that long. Do you really think he feels that strongly about you?" Gus asked.

Shawn shrugged helplessly. "That's the problem. I'm not sure." He frowned as he thought back over the last few weeks. "There have been times where I would swear he was about to say it but stopped himself. Maybe it's just some weird reflex left over from when he was married and not about me at all."

"Have you tried talking to him about it?" Gus asked.

Shawn snorted. "Of course not. We may be gay but we're still guys."

"Talking is part of every serious relationship. You can't avoid it," Gus said.

"I think we've been doing pretty well so far," Shawn said. He started gathering the magazines and papers littering the floor, dumping them in a messy pile on his desk. He could feel Gus watching him as he did, knowing there was more to this than what he had already said. He turned back to look at his friend. "What do I do if he does say it?"

Gus crossed his arms and studied Shawn. "That depends on how you feel about him."

"Well, I definitely _like_ him," Shawn said. "Especially when we're in bed and he does this great thing with his tongue – "

"Shawn! What did we just talk about?" Gus yelled, cutting him off. "I don't want to know."

"All right," Shawn said with a grin. It was just too easy to mess with his friend. He tilted his head thoughtfully as thought about his feelings for Carlton. "I think about him most of the time and not always in naughty ways. There's a lot more to him than meets the eye. Did you know he's really good at skee ball? You should see the prize he won me when we went to the carnival last weekend." The giant stuffed pineapple currently had a place of honor in the corner of his bedroom. "I'm just happier being around him. He probably feels the same; we've barely spent a night apart since New Year's."

"So we've established that you like him," Gus said. "Do you _love_ him?"

"I don't know." Shawn stuck his hands in his pockets, looking down at the floor. "I might. I mean, I've never felt this strongly about someone before. It's kind of new territory for me."

"It sounds like it could be love to me," Gus said with a satisfied smirk.

"What if I can't say it back?" Shawn asked. "What if he tells me he loves me and I can't answer him?"

"If he really loves you, he'll understand." Gus shrugged. "He knows you don't do feelings well. He'll wait until you can say it back."

"I hope so." He suddenly grinned at Gus. "Did you ever think we'd be having this conversation."

"Not about you; at least not for another twenty years," Gus said. He looked down at the flyer still clutched in his hand and sighed. "I'll lend you the money for the tickets."

"Good, because we can get a discount on the hotel room if we book ahead of time, and we can use your miles to pay for the plane tickets to Richmond," Shawn said. "Don't worry; I'll totally pay you back for everything."

"Sure you will," Gus said doubtfully.

Shawn went over to his desk and opened his computer. He better have Gus pay for everything now, before he changed his mind. The browser was open already, displaying the website of a place that would deliver chocolates and flowers to your loved one on V-Day. You could even send a personalized message. Carlton wasn't really the flower type, but he did have a sweet tooth, so Shawn had browsed the site earlier while he was trying to come up with gift ideas.

He grinned as an idea struck him. It would take some work, and a bit of luck, but if he pulled it off his friend wouldn't be spending Valentine's Day alone this year. He just needed to keep it secret from Gus until it was too late for his friend to back out.

Gus had helped him with his love life; it was only fair if Shawn returned the favor.

* * *

**Part two will be up tomorrow. **

**Let me know what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

**This part gets a bit angsty, but don't worry; there is still an abundance of fluff to balance it out.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Shawn woke up slowly on Valentine's Day, feeling like something was missing. He reached out towards Carlton only to find empty air. Opening his eyes, he saw he was alone in the bed. A quick glance around the room showed his boyfriend's gun, phone, and badge were missing. He sighed and slumped back down onto his pillow. So much for starting the day with a little morning sex.

He stretched lazily in the bed, wondering where Carlton was. He recalled hearing the detective's cell phone go off earlier, and Carlton answering quietly. He had been too sleepy at the time to do more than mumble his boyfriend's name. He remembered Carlton kissing him gently on the forehead and telling him to go back to sleep, which he promptly did. He realized Carlton had probably gotten a call about a case and hadn't wanted to wake him. He smiled to himself. His boyfriend could be very considerate at times.

Knowing there was still a lot he needed to get done before tonight, he got up and jumped into the shower. Entering his small kitchen, he smiled when he saw the wrapped box sitting on the counter. He picked up the note sitting on top.

_**Got called in on a case and didn't want to wake you**_

_**Here's part of your gift; you'll get the rest tonight.**_

_**-Carlton**_

Ripping off the paper, he revealed a box of chocolates from a little shop not too far from Psych known for their unusual concoctions. He lifted the lid and laughed when he saw the rows of pineapple shaped chocolates. He took one and bit into it, unsurprised at the fruity pineapple filling. Carlton must have special ordered these; he frequented that shop often enough with Gus that he would have noticed if they had any pineapple chocolates.

Grabbing another piece, he savored the flavor as he pulled out his phone. He sent a quick text to Gus to remind him of their plans before he set about making breakfast, humming happily to himself.

* * *

Carlton sighed and leaned back in his chair. Holidays brought out the worst in some people and today was no exception. He had gotten a call at five this morning about a homicide. The neighbor had reported that she heard screaming and yelling coming from the house, though she couldn't make out what was being said. Police had arrived to find a dead wife and a distraught husband.

The husband, a Roger Kirkland, claimed a man had broken into their home and demanded they hand over any valuables, threatening both him and his wife. Kirkland had tried to cooperate but the robber had stabbed his wife anyway.

Carlton immediately knew the husband was lying. He appeared more angry than upset over what happened, which struck Carlton as unusual. He claimed to have arrived home just before the attacker arrived, but his clothing looked too neat and pressed to have been worn during an eight hour flight. There was also a crushed bouquet of orchids in the trash can in the kitchen, right next to a butcher block missing a knife. That, along with his gut feeling, told him this was their guy.

There _was_ evidence that another man had been in the house and neighbors had reported seeing a figure fleeing the yard not long before the police showed up. They were currently trying to track him down but so far they didn't have any leads. Kirkland claimed not to have recognized the man but if the husband was the real murderer like Carlton suspected, he certainly wouldn't want to help the police find the only possible witness to his crime.

Carlton had a theory about what really happened, but he needed more evidence before he could prove anything.

Needing a caffeine boost, he grabbed the file and went into the break room for a cup of coffee. He was in luck and found a fresh, hot pot waiting for him. He let his mind wander as he savored the bitter brew. What he really needed was to find the murder weapon. Kirkland claimed the killer took the knife with him, but if Carlton was right it had to still be somewhere on the property.

The familiar sound of two men bickering reached his ears, causing him to smile. There was a time when hearing Shawn's voice would have driven him mad, believing another case was about to be mucked up by the psychic. While Shawn still forced his way onto his cases, he no longer felt angry about it. He guessed sleeping with a guy can change your perspective on a few things.

It didn't take Shawn long to find him. "Lassie!" he exclaimed, walking into the room and giving him a big, noisy kiss. Out of the corner of his eye he say Guster make a face and turn away from them. "Happy Valentine's Day! I loved the chocolates."

"I knew you would," Carlton said, smiling. Everyone who knew Shawn knew about his strange obsession for pineapple and it had become almost a game for him to find strange foods that incorporated his boyfriend's favorite fruit.

"Where's Jules?" Shawn asked.

"Probably still down in evidence."

Shawn looked over at Guster. "Go have fun while the grown-ups talk. Just don't forget about your date tonight."

"I told you, I'm not going on anymore blind dates, not after the last one you set up," Guster said. "I'm still not allowed back in that restaurant."

Shawn sighed. "And I apologized for that. How was I supposed to know you dated her roommate in college?"

"You could have asked," Guster pointed out.

"Just trust me this time, all right?" Shawn pleaded. "I promise you won't regret it."

Guster looked at him. "Fine," he said finally.

Shawn grinned. "Good. Mario's, 7 o'clock. Don't be late." He looked particularly smug as he watched Guster leave before turning back to Carlton. "Gus needs to learn to trust me more."

"I hope you know what you're doing," Carlton said.

Shawn waved away his concerns. "Trust me, Gus is going to owe me big time for this." He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Carlton's waist. "We still need to settle our plans for tonight. You still want to stay in? I'm sure I can get us a table somewhere if you changed your mind."

"I bet you could." Shawn seemed to know a surprising number of people willing to do him favors. "But I'd rather just spend a quiet evening at home."

"Good. I like the idea of having you all to myself," Shawn said with a saucy grin. "I just need to pick up a couple of things for tonight and I have the perfect movie for us to watch."

"Your place or mine?" Carlton asked.

"Yours." Shawn smiled slyly. "My bed isn't big enough for what I have planned."

His mattress had needed to be replaced for some time now and he had let Shawn come along to shop for a new one. Somehow he had let his boyfriend convince him to buy a king sized bed instead. Shawn claimed it was so he had plenty of room to move in his sleep without disturbing him, which was bullshit since Shawn spent the night either next to or on top of him. However, he had to admit the extra room had come in handy on more than one occasion.

Breaking in the bed had also been enjoyable.

"I'll need to head over early if I'm going to set up stuff for tonight," Shawn said.

"What kind of stuff?" Carlton asked suspiciously.

Shawn rolled his eyes. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise."

Carlton pulled out his house key and handed it to Shawn. "Just don't make too much of a mess."

"Of course not," Shawn said innocently. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Carlton raised an eyebrow. "There is still cake batter stuck to my ceiling."

Shawn shrugged. "I had a little trouble with the mixer. It happens to everyone."

"My _living_ _room_ ceiling."

Shawn held up his hands. "All right, point taken." His eyes fell on the file in Carlton's hand. "That the case from this morning?"

Carlton nodded. "Husband claims someone broke into his home, killed his wife, and left."

"You don't believe him," Shawn stated.

"Something seems off." Carlton said. "He's not acting like a man who just saw his wife murdered in front of him."

Shawn tugged at the file. "Let me take a look."

"I can't. You're not on the case."

"Please? Just a little look, free of charge." Shawn leaned in and whispered into his ear. "I know you don't want to miss what I have planned tonight."

Carlton glanced quickly around the station to make sure no one was watching them closely. "Make it quick," he said, handing Shawn the file.

"Did you question the husband yet?" Shawn asked after a moment.

Carlton shook his head. "They're bringing him in now. The problem is all the evidence we have against him so far is circumstantial."

Shawn closed the folder and handed it back to him. "Check the garden. I'm sensing the murder weapon is buried near some rose bushes."

Carlton looked at him thoughtfully for a minute. "McNab!" he barked out.

The large man came running over. "Yes sir?"

"Have someone check over the garden again, especially near any rose bushes," Carlton said as Shawn grinned triumphantly. "I want anything you find analyzed immediately."

"Right away sir," McNab said.

"Hey Nabby, you got any plans for tonight?" Shawn asked before the officer could walk away.

McNab smiled happily. "Frannie and I are going to _Casablanca_, that new French restaurant on Ortega. She's been dying to go there and I had to call weeks ago to get those reservations." He frowned. "I hope this case doesn't run late. Frannie would be really disappointed if we couldn't go."

"I'm sure Lassie will make sure you leave on time, right Lassie?" Shawn asked.

Carlton sighed at the hopeful look on both men's faces. "Get that garden checked out quickly, then we'll talk."

"Thank you, sir!" McNab rushed off, an extra spring in his step.

Shawn smiled at him. "See how happy you made him? I knew you were just a big softy."

"The only way either of us will leave on time is if that weapon is where you said it is," Carlton said.

"Don't worry; the spirits are never wrong about these things." He was about to point out that the spirits were often wrong when Shawn kissed him.

They normally tried to be discrete at work, but there weren't many people around and it _was_ Valentine's Day. Carlton let the kiss continue for another moment before reluctantly pulling away. "Later," he promised.

"Yeah, later," Shawn agreed. "Your place, six o'clock. Text me if you're going to be late." He walked away, putting an extra swing into his hips that should be illegal. "And Lassie?" His gaze snapped up to meet Shawn's smirk. His boyfriend knew where he had been looking. "I'd try really hard to be on time." He winked and walked out the door.

Carlton shook his head as he made his way back to his desk. Shawn was just too irresistible sometimes and the bastard knew it.

* * *

Carlton was going over the file for the tenth time, trying to find anything he could use to make a case against Kirkland. He looked up when O'Hara walked over to his desk. "Anything new?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

"Then I guess we better hope Shawn was right about that murder weapon." He closed the file, leaning back in his chair with a groan.

"Doubting your boyfriend?"

"Doubting the universe," Carlton corrected. "It would be just my luck for something to ruin our first Valentine's Day together."

"Well, I'm not letting you give up," O'Hara stated. "They just brought Mr. Kirkland in for questioning. Maybe you can get something out of him."

Carlton grabbed the file off his desk and stood up. "I'll be right there."

"Excuse me?" A man approached them dressed in blue with a _Love and Chocolate_ logo on his chest. He was holding a large bouquet of roses and a small box. "I'm looking for a Juliet O'Hara," he said, reading off the label on the flowers.

"That's me!" O'Hara said eagerly. She took the flowers and placed them carefully on her desk. "I wonder who they're from," she said, plucking a note from among the flowers and reading it.

A nervous cough brought Carlton's attention back to the delivery man. "Was there anything else?"

The man looked at the small box. "Um, it says here this is for a 'Detective Lassiekins?"

Carlton sighed. "That would be me." He accepted the box, ignoring the knowing smirk on O'Hara's face.

"Have a Happy Valentine's Day," the man said before walking away.

Carlton put the file down on his desk and opened the box. He gave a low whistle when he saw the six giant chocolate covered strawberries. He had a sweet tooth and Shawn knew how much he enjoyed strawberries. Smiling, he closed the box and read the note attached to the front.

_**A little taste of sweetness before tonight**_

_**Your lover boy XXX**_

_It could have been worse_ he admitted to himself. Some of the notes Shawn had left for him when they first started dating had been enough to make him blush and he thanked God no one other than O'Hara had seen them. For Shawn, this one was practically tame.

He ripped off the note and stuffed it into his pocket. He didn't want to chance this floating around the station. He had a reputation to maintain after all.

"So they're from Shawn?" O'Hara asked.

"Yeah." He gestured towards the roses. "What about yours?"

She held up the note that was attached to the flowers. "It says here they are from a secret admirer." She couldn't hide her girlish glee at the idea, causing Carlton to roll his eyes. "I'm supposed to meet him at Mario's tonight at 7 pm."

_So that who Shawn is setting up with Guster_. Now that he thought about it, he supposed it made sense. Guster and O'Hara had been spending more time together whenever the duo were at the station. He had thought it was simply Guster giving him and Shawn some space but maybe the pharmaceutical rep had his own detective he was going after.

"You got chocolates," said a voice behind him. Turning, he saw Sawyer standing there with a smirk on his face. "Guess that makes you the girl."

"Knock it off," Carlton said.

"It's funny," Sawyer said, ignoring the warning note in Carlton's voice. "I always saw Spencer as the bitch in the relationship."

He made it within a few feet of Sawyer before O'Hara pulled him back. "Carlton, stop. He's not worth it."

He glared at Sawyer, clenching his fists tightly as he fought to keep himself under control. "One more word and I'll have you on traffic duty for a month," he growled.

"You don't have that kind of power," Sawyer said haughtily.

"But the Chief does," Carlton pointed out, smiling evilly. "How do you think she would react hearing one of her officers making such derogatory comments about a co-worker."

Sawyer was starting to look nervous. "I'll deny it."

"Who do you think she'll believe? You, or her two best detectives?" Carlton paused a moment to let that sink in. "You haven't been quiet about how you feel about our relationship."

Sawyer glared at him. "You wouldn't dare."

Carlton crossed his arms, staring him down. "Try me."

Sawyer looked away first. "Fine. I'll lay off on you and your little boy toy."

Carlton took a deep breath, the restraining hand on his arm the only thing keeping him from hitting Sawyer.

"You should go," O'Hara said, voice hard.

Smirking slightly, Sawyer sauntered off. O'Hara dropped his arm once the other man was out of sight. "Carlton?"

He turned to look at his partner. "That man is a jackass."

"No arguments here." She picked up the box of strawberries from his desk and handed them to him. "I'll head down to interrogation. You go put these away." She grinned cheekily at him. "Take your time. I know you skipped lunch."

After O'Hara walked off, he headed into the break room. It was deserted, which was exactly what he needed right now. He put the box down and braced his hands on the table, taking several deep breaths. Sawyer wasn't the only officer at the station that had problems with him but he was the most vocal. He could still report him to the Chief but he didn't want to run to her every time something like this came up. He would only go to her if things turned violent. Words he could handle.

Sighing, he opened the box and looked at his six delectable strawberries. O'Hara was right; he had skipped lunch. It being Valentine's Day, he decided chocolate would make an acceptable substitute. He picked one up and bit into it, moaning softly at the rich combination of sweet strawberry and creamy chocolate. Putting everything else out of his mind, he took the time to enjoy the delicious treat his boyfriend had sent him.

Once he returned back to reality, he took a sticky note and wrote his name on it before attaching it to the box. No one would dare touch his precious strawberries now, not after the cupcake incident. Admittedly he may have overacted with that one, he had just come off a double shift and wasn't at his best. But at least it meant nobody had tried to steal his sweets since.

Good mood restored, he put the strawberries away and headed towards interrogation. He had a murderer to crack.

* * *

Carlton stared at Kirkland through the one-way mirror. Once he had learned Carlton suspected him of the murder, he had immediately clammed up and refused to speak until his lawyer was present. His lawyer had arrived ten minutes ago and the two of them were now conversing quietly.

"What now?" O'Hara asked.

He turned to look at her. "We try to get him to confess, though that damn lawyer is going to make things difficult. Hopefully he'll be more cooperative once we get the results back on the murder weapon." McNab had found the knife under a rose bush near the back door, just like Shawn had said. The lab was analyzing it now and Carlton was hoping the results would prove it was the husband that did it.

He saw O'Hara glance at the clock. He looked at it as well. It was already three o'clock. If he didn't get a confession soon, he would be here all night.

There was a knock on the door and McNab entered the room. "Sir, the results came in," he said, holding out a folder to Carlton.

"Finally," he said, eagerly snatching it from the officer's hand. He flipped it open and scanned the results. He grinned when he saw they confirmed his suspicions.

"Good work McNab," he said, handing the file off to O'Hara. "Why don't you head out early? We can handle the rest without you."

"Really?" McNab asked, looking surprised despite their conversation earlier.

He ignored O'Hara's smirk as he replied. "Yes. Get out of here. Enjoy your dinner with your wife."

"Thank you sir," McNab said, a huge grin on his face. He quickly left the room, pulling out his phone presumably to tell his wife the good news.

O'Hara had a huge grin on her face. "What?" he asked.

"That was a really nice thing to do," she said. "I'm glad Shawn is rubbing off on you."

He cleared his throat, the phrase 'rubbing off' calling up a few explicit examples he was sure wasn't what his partner had meant. Though with some of the questions she asked about his relationship he couldn't be entirely sure. "McNab works hard. He deserved it," he said gruffly.

She was still smiling like a loon as she handed him back the file. "I still think it's sweet."

"We have work to do," Carlton reminded her. "Stay here and watch while I interrogate him. I'll signal if I need you in there."

"Got it," O'Hara said with a nod. "Go get him Carlton."

Carlton went out into the hallway and into the interrogation room. He walked over to the table and looked at Kirkland and his lawyer for a moment before throwing the file down. "We found the murder weapon. Care to guess whose fingerprints we found all over it?"

"Don't answer that question," the lawyer said.

"I think I have a pretty good idea what happened," Carlton said, taking a seat. He leaned back in the chair, hands clasped in his lap. "Your business tripped ended early. You wanted to surprise your wife, so you didn't tell her you were coming home. You even stopped to get her flowers. Too bad she already had plans to spend the day with someone else."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kirkland said, though Carlton could detect a hint of anger in his voice.

"Your wife was cheating on you," Carlton stated. "You found her in bed with another man."

"Don't say _anything_," the lawyer urged.

Carlton could see his words were getting to Kirkland. His hands unconsciously clenched into fists, but so far he was keeping his cool. They had enough to charge him, but Carlton wanted the confession. He would have to up his game to get something out of him.

"Seems like a bit of an overreaction to me," Carlton said, calmly examining his fingernails. "You must have suspected something was going on during all those business trips you keep taking. Or were you too busy with your own affair?"

"_Shut_ _up!_" Kirkland snapped.

"It seems like a waste," Carlton said with a sigh, "going to jail over such a little thing."

"Little?" Kirkland yelled. "She was sleeping with my secretary. On Valentine's Day no less. That's hardly a little thing."

"Mr. Kirkland, stop talking," the lawyer said quickly. "Detective, we're done here." He stood up, trying to get his client out of the room before he said anything else incriminating.

"But it was more than that, wasn't it?" Carlton guessed. He had one chance to reel Kirkland in before his lawyer dragged him out of here. "She said she loved him."

"How could she? After everything I did for her?" Kirkland cried. _Bingo_

"Mr. Kirkland, please don't say anything else," the lawyer said. "Detective, stop goading my client. This interrogation is over."

Both men ignored him. "You were angry," Carlton prompted.

"Of course I was," Kirkland shouted. "I worked my ass off for her and for what? So she could leave me for _him_? I had to do something."

"So you killed her," Carlton said.

"Yes." Kirkland's face was twisted in satisfied anguish. "I took a knife and put it right in her conniving, lying heart."

The lawyer sighed and sat back down at the table. He realized, even if his client didn't, that they had just lost the case.

Carlton looked at Kirkland with disgust. "If you really loved her, you never would have been able to kill her."

"You're saying I just should have forgiven her?" Kirkland asked angrily.

"I'm saying that if my boyfriend ever did that to me, I would be pissed but I never would be able to kill him for it," Carlton said. He regretted the words the instant they came out of his mouth. One look at Kirkland's face and he knew he had lost all standing in the man's eyes.

Kirkland smirked, smug superiority replacing his earlier anger. "Or maybe you fucking queers are too soft to do what needs to be done."

Carlton gritted his teeth to keep himself from saying something he shouldn't. The guy was a murdering prick, hardly worth his time. "Watch your mouth."

"Aw, did I hurt the poor homo's feelings?" Kirkland asked with mock sympathy.

Kirkland's lawyer leaned in towards his client. "I'd highly advise you to refrain from saying anything else," he said wearily.

_A bit late for that._"That's all right. I've already got what I need." Carlton stood up and headed for the door.

"That's right, princess, let the real men do the work," Kirkland taunted.

It took all of his considerable self-control not to turn around and slug him right there. He continued to the door, slamming it shut behind him as he left the room.

O'Hara joined him a few seconds later. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he snapped.

"He's just lashing out because he knows you have him," she said.

"You think I don't know that?" O'Hara looked hurt by his harsh tone. He sighed, knowing it was unfair to take out his anger on his partner. "He just struck a nerve, but I'm fine. Really."

O'Hara looked at him sadly. "I wish things didn't have to be so tough for the two of you."

Carlton shrugged, leaning back against the wall. "Well, nobody ever said being in love was easy."

O'Hara raised her eyebrows. "Love?"

Carlton cursed internally for letting that slip. He looked away, shoving his hands into his pockets. He could lie, but O'Hara was too good at catching him. "Yeah, love."

He heard O'Hara give a little sigh and turned to see a sappy look on her face. "I don't want to hear any of that mushy crap," he said quickly, before she could say anything. "We're men, not teenage girls."

"Have you told him how you feel?" O'Hara asked.

Carlton shook his head. "You know Shawn. I'm still half convinced he'll get bored of this and leave me. I don't want to say anything to give him more of an incentive to take off."

O'Hara tilted her head thoughtfully. "I don't think he would. It's obvious he cares about you and he's been happier since you guys started dating. He's not planning on leaving anytime soon."

"Which doesn't mean much. We both know how unpredictable Shawn can be." Carlton sighed. "It's just not worth the risk. Besides, we've only been dating six weeks. It's too soon."

"If you say so," O'Hara said doubtfully. She glanced back towards the interrogation room. "Why don't you head upstairs and start on the paperwork? I'll handle things down here."

"Thanks, O'Hara," he said gratefully. He honestly didn't think he could handle being in the room with that man again. Besides the homophobic comments, it sickened him that the man could kill someone he loved like that.

As he headed upstairs, he counted himself lucky that no matter what happened between him and Shawn, they wouldn't end up like the Kirklands.

* * *

**Last part is up tomorrow. **

**Don't forget to review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Last part. The exchange of gifts and, of course, some hot mansex.**

* * *

Shawn was just pulling the fries out of the oven when he heard the front door open. He glanced at the clock, unsurprised to see it was 6 o'clock on the nose. Carlton always tried to be punctual.

He put the tray down and went out to greet his boyfriend. "Hey Lassie," he said, hugging Carlton. He pulled back with a frown when he caught a familiar scent. "You went to the gun range?"

"The case got a little tough towards the end," Carlton said, trying to brush past it. He held out the box from _Love and Chocolate._ "Thank you for these."

Shawn stared at him for a moment. He knew there was something his boyfriend wasn't telling him. Most case related issues he had no problem complaining to Shawn about after a long day. That meant it was probably personal; most likely someone making comments about their relationship again. Carlton tried not to let him see how upset those comments made him but Shawn wasn't a fake psychic for nothing.

Carlton sighed and gave him a quick kiss. "I'm better now that I'm here with you."

"All right." Shawn stepped back and jerked his head towards the kitchen. "Dinner's done. I figure we can eat in the living room, watch that movie I mentioned earlier."

"Sounds good." Carlton followed him into the kitchen, his eyes widening when he saw the food. "You know how to cook?" he asked in surprise.

It was a fair question. Up until now, whenever it had been up to him to make dinner, he had just ordered takeout. "I spent a few weeks as a short order cook in Dallas," he explained. "Don't tell Henry. He'll expect me to help whenever I go over for dinner." He placed a steak and a pile of homemade fries on each plate before handing one to Carlton. "I'm no Iron Chef like you, but I know a few things."

He had been surprised by how well Carlton could cook. Apparently one of his marriage counselors had suggested he and his ex-wife take a cooking class together as a bonding activity. It hadn't worked, but Carlton had discovered a talent for cooking and had taken additional classes on his own. He had made fun of him for it, until Carlton had cooked dinner for him one night. He never said a disparaging word against those classes again.

"It smells delicious," Carlton said, eying the food hungrily. Shawn put Carlton's leftover strawberries away and grabbed a couple beers from the fridge before leading the way into the living room.

They settled on the couch, Carlton throwing his suit jacket, holster, and tie onto an empty chair. "So what are we watching?" he asked, accepting a beer from Shawn.

"I think you're going to like it," Shawn said mysteriously, putting the disc into the tray. He sat back down on the couch, watching Carlton's face as the movie started up.

"_Heartbreak Ridge?_" his boyfriend asked in surprise, turning to look at him. "It's not very romantic."

"But it is your favorite movie," Shawn pointed out. "And I know you're not a fan of romantic comedies."

"It hasn't stopped you before," Carlton said.

"Today is different. So stop questioning things and enjoy." Carlton looked at him for another moment before turning back to the movie. Shawn hid a grin as Carlton dug into his food and happily watched the film. He had originally planned in making Carlton sit through _Pretty in Pink_, one of _his_ favorite John Hughes movies. But then Juliet had called about her 'secret admirer' and let slip that something had upset Carlton at work. He decided watching his favorite movie would help cheer his boyfriend up.

About halfway through the film, Shawn's cell phone went off with a text message. He smiled when he saw it was from Gus. _**Consider us even**__._

"Who was it?" Carlton asked as he put the phone back in his pocket.

"Gus. He's just letting me know how his date is going," Shawn said.

Carlton shook his head. "I can't believe you are trying to set up him and O'Hara."

"They have a lot in common," Shawn explained with a shrug. "Gus has had a crush on her for months but has been too chicken to ask her out. I'm just helping things along."

"Guster better be good to her," Carlton muttered. "I don't want O'Hara getting hurt."

Shawn smiled, loving how protective the detective was for his partner. "Jules is in good hands," he assured him.

Carlton just grunted and drained the last of his beer. "She better be."

When the movie finished, Shawn turned expectantly to Carlton. "Present time!" he proclaimed, pulling out the envelope he had stashed between the cushions earlier.

He was a little surprised to see Carlton pulling out an envelope of his own. "Can I go first?" Carlton asked, sounding unusually nervous.

"Sure." He took the envelope and opened it. "Divorce papers? I hate to break it to you Lassie, but we're not married."

"Just read them," Carlton urged quietly.

Shawn looked over the papers. When he saw whose names were on it, his breath caught in his throat. "Victoria." He looked up at his boyfriend. "You're divorcing your wife."

Carlton nodded. "We've been heading down this road for a long time now and I don't see a reason to put it off any longer. We've both found new people in our lives." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. He placed it gently in Shawn's hands. "You make me much happier than she ever did."

Shawn stared down at the key. _His_ key. He now had a key to Carlton's house, meaning he could come and go as he pleased. No more asking for a key whenever he accidentally left something at Carlton's the night before or he wanted to get something set up for when Carlton came home. His paranoid boyfriend, who kept a gun hidden in easy reach in every room of his house and still hadn't told Juliet his new address after the birthday party fiasco, had just given him unsupervised access to his home.

"Are you sure?" Shawn had to ask.

Carlton nodded. "I'm sure. I trust you Shawn." He said it so simply, like it wasn't a big deal, even though they both knew it was.

Shawn pulled out his keys and added Carlton's between the key to his apartment and Gus's house key. He smiled at the sight of the shiny new key sitting there before shoving them back into his pocket. He leaned over and gave his boyfriend a kiss. "Thanks, Lassie. I promise not to throw too many parties when you're not home."

"You better not," Carlton said with a growl. "I can always take back that key."

"I'd like to see you try," Shawn taunted.

In a second he was lying flat on his back on the couch, Carlton looming over him. His boyfriend held him down while one hand reached into his pocket and grabbed out his keys. "Satisfied?" Carlton asked, the key ring dangling from one finger.

"Not yet," Shawn said, feeling the heat from every spot their bodies were pressed together. He had plans before they got to the sex part of the evening but he wasn't going to argue if Carlton wanted to skip ahead.

Shawn sighed when Carlton pulled off him, resuming his seat on the couch. "What about my present?" his boyfriend asked.

Shawn sat up, looking at the envelope still clutched in his hand. His gift had cost more but in terms of romantic value was very much inferior to Carlton's. He was a little embarrassed, which was an unusual feeling for him. "It's just something I thought it would be fun to go to together," he said, giving Carlton the envelope.

His boyfriend opened it, pulling out the flyer for the show, along with hotel reservations and vouchers for plane tickets. "The National Civil War and Antique Arms Show?" he asked with interest. "I've heard of this show. They have some of the best restored Civil War era arms in the country." He looked through all the papers, then back up at Shawn. "This show isn't for another five months," he said slowly.

"Then I guess we have plenty of time to pack. We can even include a few practice weekends together before the 'big trip.' I already talked to the Chief about talking that weekend off but I know you have extra vacation days and I'm sure she wouldn't mind – " The rest of his speech was cut off as Carlton kissed him, pushing forward until Shawn was once again lying flat on the couch. "I guess you like it then, uh?" Shawn asked breathlessly when they parted.

"It's perfect." Carlton smiled at him, the tension he had been showing since he first gave Shawn his gift gone. He leaned down for another kiss but Shawn but a hand on his chest to stop him.

"Hold on." Shawn wriggled out from under Carlton and grabbed a bag he had hidden under the end of the couch. "There's another part to your gift."

Carlton sat up, looking intrigued. He took the gift bag from Shawn and looked inside. "Massage oil?"

"You've been really tense lately and a full body massage will really loosen those tight muscles, leave you more relaxed." Shawn grinned at him. "You know how much I like to get my hands on you, so consider this a gift for both of us."

"You know how to give a massage?" Carlton asked doubtfully.

"I took a course once. I figured it was a great way to meet people." Shawn shrugged. "I was young and horny at the time and getting to touch naked bodies appealed to me. I never passed the class. You should have seen the guy I was supposed to massage for my final." He gave a dramatic shudder. "He had back hair thick enough for woodland creatures to live in and saying he was on the hefty side is being generous."

Carlton made a face. "Just for future reference, talking about overweight, hairy men is definitely a turn off."

"Noted." Shawn pulled Carlton off the couch and led the way into the bedroom. "Come on, I already have everything set up."

Carlton stopped in the doorway and surveyed the room. There were a few candles scattered around providing faint illumination. The only other light came from the bedside lamps. Shawn had draped fabric over them to keep the lighting dim. A towel was spread across the middle of the bed, with a couple others set to the side, ready to be used.

Carlton inhaled deeply. "What is that smell?"

"Ylang ylang and lavender oils," Shawn explained. "They help calm and soothe you." At least, lavender did. The ylang ylang was more for what he had planned after the massage.

"You didn't have to go through all this trouble," Carlton protested.

"No trouble at all." Shawn clapped his hands together. "Now strip and lay face down on the bed," he ordered, walking to the side of the bed to set out the massage oils.

There was a defiant look in Carlton's eyes as he did as Shawn asked, though slowly and deliberately. He started with his shirt. The top two buttons were already undone, revealing a tantalizing bit of chest hair. His long, nimble fingers worked on the rest, unfastening them one by one until his shirt hung open on his lanky frame. He let it slide off his shoulders and down his arms, falling into a careless heap on the floor. Next came the undershirt, which Carlton removed in one fluid movement before tossing it to the side.

Shawn tried to continue setting up, unwilling to let Carlton see how distracting he was. When his boyfriend moved on to his belt Shawn gave up all pretenses and stopped to watch.

Carlton unbuckled the belt and slipped it out of his pants, running his fingers over the smooth leather for a moment before he dropped it to the floor. His hands went back to his waist, unfastening his pants. He slowly lowered them to just past his hips. Turning he bent over and slid his pants off, giving Shawn an excellent view of his boxer-clad ass. Shawn let out a little sigh of appreciation before Carlton turned back to face him.

Carlton stuck his thumbs under the waist band of his boxers and slowly lowered them, revealing his half-hard state. He gave a little shake of his hips that had Shawn salivating and the last piece of clothing fell to the floor, leaving Carlton standing there in all his glory.

Carlton climbed onto the bed, stretching out right in the middle. Shawn stood there and let his eyes roam over the magnificent body spread out before him.

"Shawn?" Carlton asked, during his head to look at him.

"Uh huh."

"The massage?"

"What?" Shawn blinked and shook his head, remembering why he had asked Carlton to get naked in the first place. "Right, give me a minute." He quickly stripped out of his own clothes and joined his boyfriend on the bed.

He crawled over and straddled his boyfriend's back, trying not to get distracted by the feeling of his bare skin. He grabbed the bottle of vanilla and sandalwood scented oil and poured out a generous amount. He warmed it between his hands before he started gently working it into the skin of Carlton's back. He could feel how tense and tight the muscles were, even hours after he had come home and supposedly started to relax.

Carlton sighed softly, resting his head on his crossed arms, as Shawn rubbed him down. "That feels good," he murmured happily.

"It will feel better if you relax more." Shawn pressed firmly into Carlton's back, noting where the knotted areas of muscle were. "Why don't you tell me what happened at work that left you more wound up than a Slinky?" He felt Carlton tense under him. "Come on, Carlton. I'll find out eventually." Showing rare patience, he waited for his boyfriend to speak.

"Sawyer was being an ass, as usual." Carlton shifted underneath him into a more comfortable position. "And Kirkland. . ."

"That guy who killed his wife?" Shawn prompted.

Carlton nodded. "During the interrogation he felt inclined to share his views on gays."

Shawn sighed. They both received their share of insults over their sexual orientation but it was harder for Carlton given his position at the police station. "I'm sorry baby."

"Don't be." Carlton turned his head to look back at him. "There is always going to be ignorant jackasses like them out there. There's nothing we can do about that."

"I'm still going to super glue the keys on Sawyer's keyboard." Shawn grinned when Carlton chuckled, though the resulting vibrations into his lower regions were certainly distracting.

"He's going to know it was you," Carlton pointed out.

"That's the point. I have to defend my man," Shawn said, using his best macho voice.

"I can defend myself," Carlton protested.

Shawn leaned down and kissed him. "I know."

Carlton faced forward again as Shawn continued the massage. He could feel his boyfriend slowly relaxing as he dug deep into the muscles. He concentrated on the tight knots, smoothing out the tenseness.

Carlton groaned as Shawn worked a rather large knot under his left shoulder blade. "Have I mentioned how talented those fingers are?"

Shawn smirked. "You may have mentioned it once or twice, though for a different reason." He dug into another knot, smiling as Carlton moaned contently under him. The noises his boyfriend was making were incredibly distracting as he felt himself getting aroused. He tried to ignore those feelings as best he could as he continued to work his way down his boyfriend's back. He paused when he reached Carlton's ass.

Carlton kept himself in shape, going for a morning run whenever Shawn wasn't making him late for work and hitting the gym a couple times a week. He had a lean runner's build, with the toned, firm ass that went along with it. He took a moment just to caress those glorious globes. In his mind it was one of his boyfriend's best features. The first time Carlton had bent over in front of him he had needed to exert a lot of self-control not to reach out and grab it. He was always invading the detective's personal space but that would have probably gotten him shot.

Of course, now he could reach out and grab that ass whenever he wanted, in private at least. He had the added satisfaction of knowing he was the only one to have invaded that hot, tight paradise. He felt his cock give a lurch as he remembered the last time Carlton had bottomed. It had been a hot, wild night.

Shaking his head, he moved on to Carlton's legs, working out the muscles in the back of his thighs and calves. He was able to cool down a bit now that he was away from his boyfriend's more erotic body parts, though he kept stealing glances at his ass.

He finished up the back with a foot massage that had Carlton melting in his hands. His boyfriend's moans and whimpers almost convinced him to forget the rest of the massage and move on to act two. But he knew Carlton would benefit from the full treatment.

"Okay, roll over," Shawn said, voice only slightly husky. Carlton turned over, revealing a rather prominent erection. "I see someone is enjoying themselves," he said with a smirk.

"Kind of hard not to with you rubbing against me like that," Carlton said dryly. He nodded towards Shawn's own hard cock. "Though I see I'm not the only one."

"With you splayed out under me, how can I not?" Shawn asked slyly. He poured more oil on his hands, though less than he had used on his back. He knelt next to Carlton and started with his chest. He massaged the well-developed pectoral muscles, running his fingers through Carlton's chest hair. He worked carefully around his left collarbone, knowing it was still sore after being broken several months ago.

From his chest he moved to Carlton's arms, going from shoulder to wrist and ending with a hand massage. Then, it was back to the main body, working his way down to his boyfriend's abs. He made sure not to stray too far south as he massaged the area, though judging by the way Carlton was twitching under him he wouldn't mind.

He moved down to his legs again, working the front of the thighs. In this position he had an eyeful of Carlton's erection, straining and dripping. It took every ounce of his willpower to keep himself from leaning forward and taking it into his mouth, but he was determined to finish what he started.

Finally, he grabbed a towel and wiped the leftover oil from his hands. "OK, the massage is done."

Carlton immediately launched himself at him, pinning Shawn to the bed with his body as he hungrily attacked his lips. Shawn moaned happily, rubbing against the hot, firm, well-oiled body above him.

"God, I want you so bad right now," Carlton said as he nipped along Shawn's collarbone.

"Then take me," Shawn said. "I'm all yours tonight, Lassie. Do whatever you want to me."

Carlton licked and sucked his way down Shawn's body, smiling into his skin whenever the younger man let out a particularly loud moan. Finally he arrived at Shawn's cock. He lightly licked the head, then nipped gently up and down the shaft, driving Shawn crazy.

"Lassie, come _on_," Shawn whined. "Suck me already."

"Patience, Shawn," Carlton said in amusement. Shawn didn't see what was so funny and planned on telling him so, until his boyfriend started fondling his balls and licked along the length of his cock. He moaned, not caring anymore why Carlton was amused, as long as he kept making him feel _so_ good.

Carlton licked back up to the head and gently took it into his mouth. He sucked on it lightly, causing Shawn to moan and buck up into his mouth. "About time."

Carlton chuckled, the vibrations causing Shawn to cry out. He took Shawn's cock in deeper, gently pumping it in and out of his mouth.

He felt Carlton shift on the bed before his lover dipped lower, letting his cock slide into his throat. He moaned, doing his best to keep himself still despite the fantastic feeling of having his cock wrapped in the moist, soft muscle.

After a moment, Carlton pulled off him, sitting back as he coughed. "Guess I need more practice," he said in a raspy voice.

"I don't mind being experimented on." Shawn sat up and pushed Carlton onto his back. "How about I give you demonstration of the proper technique?" He threw Carlton a smile, moving down to his member, giving the long shaft a slow lick. After getting his boyfriend's cock nice and wet, he took it into his mouth.

Carlton moaned, hips jerking slightly at the moist heat. He held Carlton down as he worked him over, sliding down far enough to tease the back of his throat with the head. When he felt he was ready, he pushed forward, forcing Carlton's cock past his gag reflex and swallowing him completely. He felt a thrill of satisfaction at Carlton's loud gasp, his body tense as he struggled not to move and inadvertently hurt him. He stayed there a few seconds before he started to move, sliding along Carlton's entire length. The detective moaned, his hips giving little jerks every time he swallowed him down.

He stopped after a couple of minutes, running his tongue along the underside of Carlton's cock as he pulled off him. "Think you got it now?" he asked in a slightly breathless voice.

"Yeah," his lover said, also out of breath. His eyes followed Shawn as he moved back up the bed until he was lying on his back next to Carlton.

His boyfriend rolled over on top of him, giving his lips a kiss before sliding back down to his cock. He licked along his length a few times before taking him into his mouth. This time when he deep throated Shawn he was able to keep him down longer before he had to pull back for air. He continued to work him over as Shawn moaned, frequently swallowing him completely as he drove him quickly toward his release.

Shawn whimpered in disappointment when Carlton pulled off him. "Lassie," he whined.

"Roll over," Carlton said, his gaze dark and smoldering.

Shawn eagerly complied, stretching out on his stomach on the bed. Carlton put a pillow under his hips to lift him slightly than reached over towards the night stand, removing a condom and a bottle of lube.

He moved back to Shawn, placing a gentle kiss on the back of his neck. He moved a little lower, placing another kiss, then another as he slowly moved down Shawn's back. Shawn shifted restlessly, the light kisses along his spine driving him wild.

When Carlton reached his ass he pulled away. Shawn heard the snap as his boyfriend opened the bottle of lube. Soon, slick fingers were teasing at his entrance before one of them slipped easily inside. He groaned, pushing backwards against the invading digit. Carlton quickly added a second, then a third. He pumped his fingers into Shawn, stretching him out in preparation for the main event.

As Carlton drove his fingers in all the way, he started twisting them, searching for a specific spot. Shawn cried out when he found it, arching off the bed and grinding back against the fingers. "You like that, Shawn?"

"Yeeeeah." He moaned as Carlton resumed finger fucking him, pressing against that spot again. "I love when you do that."

Carlton kissed his lower back. "I know."

He whimpered when Carlton removed his fingers, leaving him feeling empty. He knew, however, that feeling wouldn't last long. He recognized the sound of a condom wrapper, then heard Carlton moan softly as he got himself ready. His boyfriend moved until he was hovering over Shawn, his cock pressing against his entrance.

Shawn let out a low groan as Carlton pushed forward, sliding fully inside him in one long, slow push. His boyfriend stopped when he was fully seated, giving Shawn time to adjust.

Shawn sighed deeply, feeling deliciously stretched and full with Carlton deep inside him. His lover leaned down, nipping lightly at the side of his neck and along his shoulder blade. "Let me know when you're ready," Carlton murmured, his voice low and gravely with lust. He could feel how tense his lover was above him, forcing himself to stay still though he desperately wanted to move. He remembered that feeling clearly from when their positions were reversed.

He shifted slightly as he relaxed, hearing Carlton breathe in sharply when he did. He clenched down, smiling when his boyfriend gave out a strangled gasp. He turned his head to look back at Carlton. "Go ahead."

Carlton slowly pulled back, almost withdrawing completely, before thrusting just as slowly back in. Shawn moaned and pushed back against Carlton. "Yeah, Lassie, just like that," he said approvingly.

Carlton gave another slow, deep thrust, then another, establishing a gentle, steady rhythm. He lowered himself until he was laying along Shawn's back. "I thought I could do whatever I wanted to you tonight."

Shawn groaned as Carlton punctuated his statement with a slightly harder thrust. "Whatever you want, just _don't_ _stop_," he pleaded.

Carlton chuckled, the vibrations along his back causing Shawn to shiver. "Trust me, I have no intentions of stopping now." He lifted himself off Shawn's back as he continued to move inside him. He raised Shawn's hips until they were both kneeling, allowing himself to penetrate deeper.

Shawn gasped as the new position had Carlton hitting different areas inside him. He stretched his arms out, raising his head to keep it from rubbing against the sheets as the thrusts grew harder.

Carlton shifted his angle, hitting a spot inside Shawn that had him crying out in pleasure. "There, Lassie! Right there," he moaned, crying out wordless as Carlton thrust against that spot again.

Carlton groaned as he tensed around him, pausing for a moment. "You feel so fucking amazing right now," he said, reaching forward to run his hands over Shawn's back and around to his chest.

"Right back at ya," Shawn moaned as Carlton teased and pinched his nipples. He wiggled his hips, smirking as Carlton gasped and grab them to hold him still. "Keep moving."

Carlton slowly started thrusting into him again, gradually picking up the pace. After a few thrusts he shifted his angle, causing Shawn to moan and shudder as his pleasure spot was hit repeatedly.

"That's it. . . that's it. . . don't stop, don't ever stop," he mumbled incoherently as he felt his orgasm rapidly approaching.

Carlton's thrusts were getting shallower and harder as he tried to push as deep inside Shawn as he could. His breath was getting ragged, his grip on Shawn's hips tight as he too barreled towards his release. One hand moved from his hips and forward to grasp Shawn's aching erection. He moaned loudly as Carlton pumped him in time to his thrusts.

"Almost there, don't stop," Shawn panted, hands clenching in the bed sheets.

He cried out as he came, shuddering with the intensity of it. Carlton stilled inside him as he worked Shawn through it. Panting, he turned his head to look back at Carlton as he felt his boyfriend start to move again.

Carlton thrust hard a few times, and groaned loudly in his own release. He fell forward on Shawn's back, breathing hard into his ear. "Shawn, I. . ." He paused, then kissed Shawn gently on the side of the neck. "That was great."

Shawn smiled in contentment. "It was great for me too." He moved a bit and looked at Carlton expectantly. "Not to ruin the moment or anything but you are getting kind of heavy."

"Sorry." Carlton slowly lifted himself up, carefully sliding out of Shawn. He sighed when Carlton pulled away, missing the feel of him against him. His lover grabbed the towel he had conveniently left next to the bed. "Roll over."

He shivered slightly as Carlton gently cleaned him up before taking care of himself. Tossing the towel in the corner and the condom in the trash can next to the bed, he laid down next to Shawn. He turned on his side to face Carlton, smiling lazily at him. "You're great, you know that?"

"So are you." Carlton smiled at him. "I love you."

Shawn stared at Carlton.

His boyfriend stared back, eyes wide.

Shawn swallowed hard, unable to speak. This was the moment he had been dreading and, like he had feared, he couldn't say it back.

After a tense moment, Carlton started to speak. "You don't have to say anything. It's too soon, I know it is. It just slipped out. Not that I don't mean it; I do. It's okay if you can't say it back yet. I understand." Carlton closed his eyes and tried to turn away.

Shawn reached out a hand and stopped him. "Carlton?" he asked uncertainly. His boyfriend opened his eyes and looked at him. His stomach clenched at the pain he saw that his lover couldn't hide. He had never meant to hurt him like this. "Do you really mean it?" he asked quietly.

"I do." Carlton reached out a hand and gently cupped Shawn's face. "I love you."

A warmth spread through Shawn at those words and the look in his boyfriend's eyes. He leaned in and gently kissed Carlton, grinning as he pulled away. "I love you too."

The smile on Carlton's face could have lit up the room. He pushed Shawn flat on the bed, their lips meeting in an intense, mind-blowing kiss. Shawn held the detective tightly to him, moaning into his mouth.

Eventually they broke apart, panting heavily. "Wow," Shawn said, a stupid grin on his face.

"Yeah," Carlton replied with an equally giddy grin. He rolled off Shawn onto his back and Shawn cuddled up against his side, sighing happily when his lover curled his arm around him. "I thought I had scared you off there for a moment."

"It would take much more than that to get rid of me," Shawn assured him. He grabbed the sheet, pulling it over the two of them. "I'm here to stay."

"Good." Carlton reached up and turned out the light, then settled back into the bed. Not once did he loosen his hold on Shawn.

Shawn felt a light kiss against his forehead. "I love you Shawn."

He smiled into the darkness, nestling in close to his boyfriend. "I love you too Carlton."

* * *

**The next installment in this series will be St. Patrick's Day. Drinking, a bar fight, and a very horny Shawn should make things interesting.**

**In the meantime, here two oneshots I'm currently working on that should be out soon.**

_**Body Heat**_

**During a camping trip, Shawn wanders off and gets lost in the woods. Lassiter is the one to find him and must do whatever he can to warm up a hypothermic Shawn. SLASH**

_**Handcuffed**_

**It's all fun and games until someone looses the keys. SLASH.**

**See you all soon. Don't forget to review!**


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